The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-05-18
GEORGE ON THE LABOR PARTY.
He Does Not Know Whether 1t VIII
Make a Presidential Nomination.

He Does Not Know Whether 1t WIN
Make a Presidential Nomination.
New York Sum-
Through the prominence given to the
ecclesiastical troubles of DIR. McGlynn, the
land and labor question has been kept
steadily before the public, but for a month
or two the Labor party had not been heard
from until the call for a State convention
issued the other day. A Sun reporter
talked with Henry George about the plans
of the party and its condition.
Interest in our cause" he said, els
spreading rapidly. Land and labor clubs
are forming all over the country. Here in
New York, we have political party that
is coherent and strong. There are one or
two homogeneous elements, but they do not
affect the general complexion of the party.
The people here have had splendid edu-
cation in the land question, and have
grasped it so thoroughly that there is no
danger that they will be led by the nose
back to the older parties. We are deter
mined not to finch from our position. Our
ultimate aim is the abolition of all taxes eX.
cept those on land. We can not hope to
accomplish all that at once, of course, but
the first step will be the taking OF all taxes
off improvements in the shape of build
iDgs on land. Out West there has
been Labor party formed that put a
ho6ge-podge plank in its platform about
land, but our people will have nothing to
do with it. We stand firm for the radical
views of the holding of land that has been
repeatedly expressed in our documents
and declarations of principles. I think
the party in this city is much stronger
than it was at the municipal election.
Elsewhere it certainly is, tor where there
as no party at all there is now some kind
of an organization in nearly every impor-
tant city. The politicians don't know what
to make of us. and even the labor poll
ticians are fighting u.s. mean those old
war horses that have been preaching about
the wrongs of labor for twenty years or
more without advocating a specific rem
edy."
do you expect the party to make a
presidential nomination in the next cam
paign2'
Mr.. George hesitated at this question,
and answered IN doubtful tone:
81 am sure L don't know; we may. We
don't care to hold the executive offices, but
it seems to be necessary to fight for them in
order to bring our principles into the
field"
"If nomination were made would it
not result in the sure election of a Repub-
llcan?"
''Msy be we should not care. What diff
ference does il make who holds the offices
l.
Cleveland was elected; and would it make
the burdens any lighter or heavier if a
a Rep bican were the Chief Executive?
think 3ot. The important thing is to get
the people to think of real issue, and
that is the mission of the Labor party.
There are lots of Democrats to-day who
ought TO be Republicans, and vice
versa. Now the party lines must
be sharply drawn that these con-
gruous elements shall be united under one
standard. If the Labor party comes
into the field, and by its presence defeats
an organization that otherwise might count
on victory, the tendency will be to shake
up the parties so that the homogeneous ele-
ments of each will fall out. The Repub-
lican party was killed in the last election.
1t will be capital thing now to kill the
Democratic party. If that is not done in
the next election 1t surely viii be in the
next but one, and then the mission of the
Labor party will have been accomplished.
Then a genuine issue will be before the
country, and the parties must form on Ell
ther side of it. That issue will naturally be
the land question. Judging from the way
the cause is growing, should say that by
that time the whole country would be able
to discuss the issue intelligentlY. Mean
time, we shall work hard and in our own
way. We shall c0Untenance nothing that
parties, and to guard against that it will be
necessary for us to have our own candi-
dates in the field for every Office subject to
popular election"
f.The Labor party cries against the cor
ruption' OF the older organizations, What
does it say to the suggestion that the plac.
ing of so much power in the Government as
will follow from making the State the
landlord will induce great amount .ot
corruption?"
1.-THE reply is that it is a mistaken idea to
suppose that the functions of government
will be increased by the adoption of our
plan. On the contrary they will be dimin-
ished, and our policy calls not only for no
more offices than exist at present, but no
new ones. You see what we strive against
is taxation. There are several kinds of
taxation now. When we have reduced
them to the one tax on land values
only, what will happen? Why, the officials
already Entrusted with the assessment and
collection Of taxes will naturally do the
work. The present machinery of govern
ment will more than suffice for the opera
tion of things according to our plan. We
shall simplify governmental operations a
great deal, and thus decrease the tendency
to corruption. Furthermore. fruitful
source of corruption to-day lies in the val
uation of taxable property. When only
land is taxed there will not be so great
possibility for fraud, because it is com.
paratively easy TO get at the value of land.
1t lies where everybody can see it, and
opinions will not differ greatly on its
worth.
$50 far as the Labor party is concerned,
it Is harmonious and determined. 1t is an
element in politics that has come to stay.
for it is based not on desire for Office. but
on a conviction. The work of electing
delegates to the State convention will be
undertaken very soon, and we expect to
have all parts of the State represented and
10 have very large gathering"